Road would open about 70 acres to development

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Oct 27, 1998

The proposed north-south road will open about 70 acres on the city's far North Side to industrial and commercial development, one reason why two local labor organizations support it.

The road was endorsed recently by the La Crosse AFL-CIO Council and by the La Crosse Area Building and Construction Trades Council.

The two parcels it would open to development are south of the Crossing Meadows shopping center and Famous Dave's barbecue restaurant, and were targeted for economic development under the La Crosse River Valley Study land-use plan adopted in 1995.

City planning director Larry Kirch envisions about half of the west parcel, south of the Great River State Trail bicycle trail, being developed by the city as an industrial park. That would be slightly more than 30 acres, said Beth Price, state Department of Transportation north-south road coordinator. The land is owned by the city and is next to the Coulee Sites Industrial Park.

Kirch believes the area north of the bicycle trail, and the east parcel, are best suited to commercial development, such as stores and restaurants. Access to both would be provided by an extension of 12th Avenue, and the east parcel also fronts state Hwy. 16. The La Crosse Common Council ultimately will decide how the land will be zoned.

Kirch's best guess is that the industrial park will cost the city $30,000 to $45,000 per acre to develop, compared to $30,000 per acre for the Airport Industrial Park and $65,000 per acre for the planned La Crosse International Business Park. He believes it will be needed by the time the north-south road is built -- the state's schedule calls for construction from 2006 to 2008.

"I think sites like this should be developed prior to developing sites in West Salem and Holmen, because of its proximity to the work force and other nearby industries," Kirch said.

James Hill, executive director of the La Crosse Area Development Corp., agrees the industrial park will be needed by the time the road is built. It is one of only a few places where the city can create industrial parks, he said.

"The whole subject of an additional industrial area north of Gillette Street/county Hwy. B is something LADCO was interested in seeing happen, going all the way back to the beginning of the La Crosse River Valley Study," Hill said.

The additional industrial and commercial developments could create up to 1,800 jobs and an additional $10 million in tax base, said Lee Rasch, a spokesman for People for Community Solutions, which supports the road.

Opening 70 acres to development is only one reason why the two organized labor organizations support the road, said Terry Hicks, La Crosse AFL-CIO Council president.

"We basically endorsed it because it's such a huge amount of jobs -- road construction and implications of jobs in the future -- and many of our locals felt it was good for the transportation problems we experience," Hicks said of his council. "We would hope it would help existing industries expand and help attract new industries."

"You'd be hard-pressed to find any individual in this town who would be opposed to the industrial park and more industrial and commercial development," said Kevin Mack, president of Livable Neighborhoods, which opposes the road.

"To put this as a carrot on a stick and tie it in with the north-south highway, funneling that volume of vehicles through residential neighborhoods, is the absurdity we're talking about," Mack said. "We're all for growth and development, and especially in the downtown. Unfortunately, this highway is not going to be good for the growth of the downtown," and will promote urban sprawl, he said.